Explosive-engine igniter



A Dec.11,1923. 1,476,900

J. T. LYKENS EXPLOSIVE ENGINE IGNITER Filed May 10, 1923 J T L y/nems,l7) L Patented Dec. 11,1923.

i {UNI fnA'rENT F I JAMES '1". LYKENS, or. HUNTINGTON, wnsrzirrneimxpnssreivonitor onnnAL-nero LEMUEL Raving-ornunrmeronr;wnsr'vrneminr V EXPLOSIVE-ENGINE IGNITER.

Application filed May 10, 1923. Serial No. 638,020.

To all whomtt may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES T. LYKENS, a citizen of the United States,residing. at

. Huntington, in the county of Cabell and State of West Virginia, haveinvented cer-.

tain new and useful Improvements in Explosive-Engine Igniters; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such; as

will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the which itappertains to same. V y

The invention relates to ignition means for explosive engines and hasfor its object to provide an igniter which is adapted to act jointlywith the ordinary spark plug or independently thereof to preventmisfiring and to obviate flooding of the cylinder and to insure a drycombustion at alltimes with the result that the engine is renderedsmooth running and its power materially increased; 7

Other objects and advantages will be apparent and suggest themselves asthenature of the invention is understood.

While the drawing illustrates an embodiment of the invention it is" tobe understood that in adapting the same to meet diife'rent conditionsand requirements, various changes in the form, proportion and minordetails of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthenature of the invention.

.Referring to the accompanying drawing forming a part of theapplicatiomthe same 1 is a sectional view illustrative of the inven-'opening 3 andthe other branch being on larged and internally screwthreaded to receive a spark plug 5 which may be of any make or designcommonly provided for in ternal combustion engines. A stem 6 passes 1designates the cylinder 'of' of any design and are illustrated todemoncentrally through the vertical branch of the shell 4 and its'inneror lower end is enlarged,=as indicated at 7. The stemj6 proa thumbbutton 9, whereby the stem may be rotated to adjust the relativeposition of the enlarged end 7, whereby it may project more or less fromthe inner end of the shell,

" as required. The stem 6 constitutes the igniter and consists of metalwhich is highly susceptible to changes in temperature so as to rapidlyabsorb heat and quickly give off the heat thus absorbed. 7

It. is the. intention to use the igniter in conjunction with the sparkplug and in the event of the plug failing to properly function, theigniter will operate to explode the charge and thereby prevent misfire.After i the engine has been started and several explosions take place,the ignition member 6 becomes heated to such an extent as to explode thecharge and the successive explosions maintain the igniter at the propertemperature to explode the charges, even though the spark plug shouldfail to function.

What is claimed is:

1; Ignition means for explosive engines, thesame comprisinga shelladapted to be coupled. to the cylinder of an engine and adapted toreceive an ordinary spark plug,

and an j ignition member within the shell and adapted to be heated bythe explosion of the gaseous mixture, whereby to ignite and explode thesuccessive charge.

2. Ignition means for explosive engines, the same comprising a shelladapted to be coupled to the cylinder of an engine and adapted toreceive an ordinary spark plug,

and an ignition member Within the shell and having its inner endenlarged.

' 4. Ignition means for an explosive engine comprising a shell ofapproximately 1 3. Ignition means for explosive engines,.

V L-form, one branch being externally screw threaded to 'make-connectionwith the engine and the other'branch being internally I screw threadedto receive a spark 'plug, and

an ignition member Within the externally screw threaded branch andprojecting beyond itheti'nternally serewr-threaded branch and "havingscrew thread iconnection therewith

